while

while¹ W1S1 [waıl] conj

1.) during the time that something is happening

▪ They arrived while we were having dinner.

▪ While she was asleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag.

▪ She met Andy while working on a production of Carmen.

see usage note ↑during

2.) all the time that something is happening

▪ Would you look after the children while I do the shopping?

3.) used to emphasize the difference between two situations, activities etc

▪ Schools in the north tend to be better equipped, while those in the south are relatively poor.

4.) in spite of the fact that

= ↑although

▪ While never a big eater, he did snack a lot.

▪ While there was no conclusive evidence, most people thought he was guilty.

5.) while I'm/you're etc at/about it

spoken used to suggest that someone should do something at the same time that they do something else

▪ Print out what you've written, and while you're at it make a copy for me.

while ²

while² W2S1 n

[: Old English; Origin: hwil]

1.) a while

a period of time, especially a short one

▪ It takes a while to recover from the operation.

in a while

▪ Mr Thomas will be with you in a while.

for a while

▪ At last, he could relax for a while.

a little/short while

▪ Wait a little while before deciding.

▪ We talked for quite a while (=a fairly long time) on the phone.

2.) all the while

all the time that something is happening

▪ He examined her thoroughly, talking softly all the while.

▪ She continued working, all the while keeping an eye on the clock.

→(every) once in a while at ↑once¹ (8), be worth sb's while (to do/doing sth) at ↑worth¹ (5), make it worth sb's while at ↑worth¹ (6)

while ³

while³ v

while away the hours/evening/days etc

to spend time in a pleasant and lazy way

▪ The evenings were whiled away in endless games of cards.